Restaurant Consulting Services for QSR, Foodservice, and Franchise Brands
Gravitas helps restaurant, QSR, and foodservice brands accelerate growth, improve EBITDA, and execute transformation across strategy, operations, digital, and PMO leadership.
From franchisors and multi unit operators to private equity backed restaurant platforms, we bring practical strategy and disciplined execution to complex growth and transformation agendas.
Selected Capabilities of our Restaurants & Foodservice Practice
Strategy & Corporate Development
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Corporate Strategy And Value Creation Plan: Define north star, growth vectors, portfolio choices, capital allocation, and ownership model; set three-year roadmap; unlock revenue growth, margin expansion, and total shareholder return.
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Brand Portfolio And Format Strategy: Clarify brand roles, daypart focus, and format blueprint across dine-in, drive-thru, takeout, delivery, and ghost kitchens; drive market coverage, brand health, and asset productivity.
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International Expansion And Market Entry Blueprint: Prioritize countries using demand, competition, and regulatory scans; choose entry model—company-owned, joint venture, or master franchise; stage rollouts; de-risk investment and accelerate addressable market.
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Franchising And Refranchising Strategy: Set corporate versus franchise mix, royalty and fee architecture, development agreements, and area rights; improve unit economics, capital efficiency, new unit growth, and franchisee health.
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Mergers And Acquisitions Strategy And Commercial Due Diligence: Build pipeline, target screens, and theses; assess brand strength, unit economics, white space, and synergy potential; deliver valuation, deal model, and integration thesis.
Operations
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Labor Model And Workforce Scheduling Optimization: Build labor standards, demand forecasting, smart scheduling, and task redesign; increase labor productivity, reduce overtime and turnover, and meet speed-of-service targets across dayparts.
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Kitchen And Make-Line Reengineering: Redesign cookline layout, station roles, batch size, line balancing; implement Kitchen Display Systems (KDS); lift throughput, consistency, and ticket time; reduce errors and bottlenecks.
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Drive-Thru And Front-Counter Throughput Acceleration: Optimize lane design, order taking, queue management, and expo; enable dual points and line busting; improve speed of service, order accuracy, and peak-hour capacity.
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Digital And Delivery Operations Integration: Integrate order-ahead, curbside, and aggregator tablets into POS (point-of-sale) and expo flows; define staging and pickup; reduce dwell time, cancellations, and make-waste; grow off-premise sales.
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Back-Of-House Inventory, Prep, And Waste Control: Standardize prep guides, par levels, yield tracking, and portioning controls; install waste logs and coaching; lower food cost, variance, and out-of-stocks without hurting availability.
Supply Chain
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Demand Planning And Integrated Business Planning: Stand up statistical forecasting and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)/Integrated Business Planning (IBP); align promotions and supply; lift forecast accuracy, service levels, and reduce waste.
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Distribution Network Strategy And Capacity Planning: Design DC footprint, cross‑docks, capacities, and delivery frequencies; choose captive versus 3PL; cut miles, lead time, and landed cost while safeguarding restaurant service.
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Cold Chain Excellence And OTIF Improvement: Redesign temperature controls, monitoring, and handling; establish On‑Time In‑Full (OTIF) governance and root-cause analytics; reduce spoilage, temperature excursions, and delivery variability across perishable categories.
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Transportation Optimization And Freight Efficiency: Optimize routing, fleet mix, cube utilization, and delivery windows; implement Transportation Management System (TMS); reduce linehaul and last‑mile cost, late deliveries, and driver overtime.
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Inventory Policy And Multi‑Echelon Optimization: Set service targets, order cycles, and safety stocks using multi‑echelon models; balance DC and store inventory; lower working capital, waste, and out‑of‑stocks.
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
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Direct Ingredients Sourcing And Risk Management: Source proteins, dairy, produce, oils; use index pricing, hedging, forward buys, alternates; reduce food cost, volatility, and supply risk.
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Packaging And Disposables Value Engineering: Optimize specs, pack sizes, and materials for cups, lids, cutlery; consolidate vendors; reduce cost, leakage, and waste while preserving experience.
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Indirects And Equipment Strategic Sourcing: Negotiate smallwares, uniforms, cleaning, HVAC, and kitchen equipment; standardize specs and service contracts; reduce spend, downtime, and lifecycle cost.
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Sourcing Center Of Excellence And Contracting: Build category playbooks, e-auctions, and templates; negotiate pricing, terms, rebates, and SLAs; accelerate savings, compliance, and supplier competition.
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Supplier Relationship Management And Risk: Install SRM scorecards and QBRs; enable dual sourcing and contingencies; improve service, innovation, and resilience to shortages and recalls.
Organization
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Field Organization Design And Decision Rights: Design corporate–region–district–restaurant structure, decision rights, and profit and loss (P&L) ownership for company and franchise networks; increase accountability, speed, alignment, and unit-level EBITDA.
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Franchise Support Organization And Field Coaching Model: Define franchise business consultant ratios, visit cadence, coaching versus compliance roles, tools, and escalation paths; improve franchisee performance, brand standards adherence, and development velocity.
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Talent Pipeline And Leadership Development: Build role architecture, assessments, academies, and succession for shift leaders, general managers (GMs), and area coaches; cut time-to-fill and turnover; raise internal promotions and readiness.
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Manager And Crew Incentive Design: Design bonuses and rewards aligned to sales, labor productivity, food cost, speed-of-service, and guest satisfaction; set guardrails and tiers; improve performance, retention, and affordability.
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Culture, Engagement, And Retention System: Define employee value proposition, recognition, communication rhythms, and scheduling flexibility; install pulse surveys and actioning; reduce frontline turnover, absenteeism, and training waste; improve guest experience.
Marketing
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Brand Positioning And Audience Segmentation: Define brand architecture, core promise, target segments, and creative territories; quantify whitespace; increase consideration, distinctiveness, and pricing power across dine-in, drive‑thru, delivery.
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Marketing Mix Modeling And Budget Allocation: Build marketing mix modeling and incrementality tests across TV/OTT, paid social, search, audio, out-of-home; reallocate budget to maximize ad returns, traffic, and same‑store sales.
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CRM, Loyalty, And Personalization Strategy: Design lifecycle customer relationship management (CRM), reward economics, tiers, and personalization using first‑party data; improve app enrollment, visit frequency, basket size, and guest lifetime value.
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Digital Performance Marketing And Conversion Optimization: Optimize search marketing, app install, and marketplace ads; improve checkout user experience and app store presence; lower acquisition cost and grow orders and order value.
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Local Store Marketing And New Unit Launch: Create trade‑area playbooks with geo-targeted media, partnerships, influencers, and PR; drive awareness, trial, and day‑one sales for openings and remodels.
Pricing
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Enterprise Pricing Strategy And Inflation Pass-Through: Define price position, increase cadence, affordability tiers, and index-to-competitor rules; protect traffic while recovering food and labor inflation to target margins.
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Menu Price Architecture And Value Ladder Design: Build category ladders, sizes, combos, and bundles; set anchors and trade-up differentials; grow average check, attachment, and perceived value without eroding traffic.
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Elasticity Modeling And Geo-Pricing Optimization: Model item and daypart elasticities by trade area; deploy geo‑priced menus and thresholds; maximize margin dollars with minimal guest defection.
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Delivery And Off-Premise Channel Pricing: Set delivery markups, menu rationalization, fees, and price parity policies across aggregators and owned channels; increase contribution margin and reduce marketplace dilution.
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Promotion And Discount Economics Optimization: Optimize offers, limited-time price points, loyalty reward burn, and price fences; measure incrementality; reduce discount leakage while driving profitable trial and frequency.
Sales
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Sales Coverage And Territory Design: Design industry- and application-based coverage across CASE, additives, and specialties; align hunters, farmers, and technical sellers; improve responsiveness, new-logo acquisition, and penetration.
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Key Account Management And Share-Of-Wallet Expansion: Build strategic account plans with value hypotheses, multi-level mapping, cross-sell plays, and QBRs; grow wallet share, retention, and margins.
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Distributor And Channel Partner Management: Segment and rationalize distributors; set joint business plans, market development funds, and scorecards; improve reach, sell-through, data visibility, and service for coatings and adhesives.
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Technical Sales And Application Lab Orchestration: Integrate technical service, sampling, and application labs into selling motions; standardize voice of customer, trial protocols, and qualification gates; shorten approval cycles and accelerate specification wins.
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Pipeline, Forecast, And Tender Management: Standardize CRM stages, qualification, and tender response packs; improve forecast accuracy, win rate, and resource allocation across global key accounts.
Finance
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Driver-Based FP&A And Unit Economics: Build rolling forecasts linking traffic, price, mix, labor, food yields, and overhead; deliver store P&Ls and bridges; improve forecast accuracy, EBITDA, and decision speed.
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Working Capital And Cash Flow Optimization: Optimize aggregator receivables, cash handling, vendor terms, inventory turns, and prepaid programs; free cash, reduce shrink and disputes, and lower external financing needs.
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Close, Consolidation, And Finance Process Transformation: Standardize chart of accounts, store-to-bank reconciliations, royalty reporting, and accruals; automate consolidations; reduce days to close, errors, and audit adjustments.
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Capital Allocation And Remodel ROI Portfolio: Build capital blueprint for new units, remodels, equipment, and technology; size cash flows and IRR; prioritize projects; improve returns, payback, and risk-adjusted growth.
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Gift Card, Loyalty Liability, And Breakage Economics: Design stored value and loyalty forecasting, breakage recognition under Accounting Standards Codification 606, and controls; improve cash flow, revenue recognition accuracy, and leakage prevention.
AI, Data & Analytics
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Data Platform And Single Guest View: Build cloud data platform integrating POS, loyalty, app, delivery, labor, and supply chain; standardize data and KPIs; enable self-serve dashboards and AI use cases.
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Demand And Labor Forecasting AI: Use machine learning to forecast transactions by restaurant, daypart, and channel; optimize labor schedules and prep; reduce overtime, waste, and stockouts.
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Personalization And Next Best Offer Engine: Build real-time propensity models and rules for offers, bundles, and messaging across app and email; increase conversion, frequency, and average check.
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Computer Vision Drive Thru And Kitchen Analytics: Deploy cameras and AI for queue length, car count, make-line compliance, and dwell time; surface coaching actions; improve speed of service, accuracy, and throughput.
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Loss Prevention And Fraud Analytics: Analyze POS voids, refunds, discounts, coupons, and clock-ins; detect anomalies with machine learning; reduce theft, promo leakage, and cash loss; strengthen controls.
Transformation
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Enterprise Transformation Office And Value Capture: Establish Transformation Management Office (TMO) with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), cadence, and benefits tracking; orchestrate growth and cost workstreams; deliver EBITDA uplift, cash conversion.
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Turnaround And Liquidity Stabilization War Room: Stand up cross-functional war room; reset labor model, menu complexity, promotions, and working capital; protect guest experience while restoring liquidity and contribution margin quickly.
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Zero Based Cost And SG&A Redesign: Apply zero-based budgeting to restaurant and corporate spend; redesign processes, approvals, and vendor mix; capture structural cost takeout and reinvest in growth.
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Store Of The Future Modernization Waves: Pilot and scale format changes—dual make-lines, pickup shelves, kiosks, simplified kitchens; coordinate playbooks and capital; lift throughput, labor productivity, and off-premise readiness.
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Digital Adoption And Frontline Change Management: Build change factory for point of sale (POS), Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), loyalty, and delivery workflows; design training and champions; accelerate adoption and realize ROI.
Sustainability
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Net-Zero And Scope 1–3 Roadmap For Restaurants: Baseline emissions across energy, refrigerants, logistics, and purchased food; set Science Based Targets; prioritize abatement levers; cut cost and carbon across corporate and franchise networks.
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Energy And Refrigeration Efficiency Program: Audit kitchens, HVAC, and refrigeration; deploy Energy Star equipment, controls, submetering, and demand response; reduce kWh, therms, peak charges, and refrigerant leaks.
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Food Waste Minimization And Organics Diversion: Install waste analytics, yield controls, donation, composting, and anaerobic digestion partnerships; lower hauling cost and methane footprint; improve ESG scores and margin.
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Sustainable Packaging And Plastics Reduction Strategy: Redesign packaging to recyclable or compostable, eliminate PFAS, right-size SKUs, and default-off utensils; prepare for EPR laws; cut waste, cost, and brand risk.
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ESG Reporting, Materiality, And Assurance Readiness: Build ESG metrics, double materiality, and governance; prepare CSRD, SEC climate, and CDP filings; strengthen controls and third‑party assurance readiness.
Information Technology
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POS And Store Systems Modernization: Select and deploy modern point-of-sale (POS), Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), EMV payments, and printers; integrate loyalty and coupons; improve uptime, checkout speed, and scalability.
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Omnichannel Order Integration And Middleware: Implement middleware for marketplaces, native app, and web; synchronize menus, pricing, 86ing, and throttling; inject orders to POS; reduce tablet farms, errors, and canceled orders.
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Cloud Platform, Microservices, And DevSecOps: Design cloud architecture, microservices for ordering and loyalty, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD); enable observability and autoscaling; increase reliability, release velocity, and peak performance.
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Store Network And Edge Resilience: Modernize software-defined wide area network (SD‑WAN), Wi‑Fi 6, segmentation, and failover; harden edge compute and offline modes; improve uptime, latency, and payment authorization during outages.
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Cybersecurity And PCI DSS Compliance: Establish zero trust, multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response, and vulnerability management; implement PCI DSS v4.0 controls; reduce breach risk, ransomware impact, and audit findings.
Capital Projects
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Prototype Design Standards And Value Engineering: Develop scalable prototype layouts for kitchen, drive‑thru, dining, and MEP; value engineer materials and equipment; lower capex, shorten build time, preserve throughput and brand standards.
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Capital Project Controls And Cost Estimating: Install stage gates, budgets, baseline schedules, earned value, and change control; improve cost predictability, schedule adherence, and transparency across new builds and remodels.
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Construction Procurement And Delivery Model Strategy: Select delivery models—design‑build, design‑bid‑build, construction manager at risk; run GC RFPs, negotiate guaranteed maximum price; improve cost certainty, speed, quality, and accountability.
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Long-Lead Equipment And Supply Chain Planning: Plan and prebuy long‑lead kitchen equipment, HVAC, switchgear, and finishes; manage vendor capacity, logistics, and warehousing; prevent schedule slips, change orders, and cost escalation.
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New Unit And Remodel Program Management Office: Establish capital project office, templates, governance, and reporting; coordinate design, permits, procurement, and buildout; deliver openings and remodels on time, on budget, with turnover excellence.
Menu & Culinary Development
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Menu Strategy And Portfolio Architecture: Define category roles, daypart platforms, core versus LTO guardrails, and operational constraints; reduce complexity, protect throughput, and focus innovation on traffic and margin drivers.
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Culinary R&D And Commercialization Process: Build stage-gate from concept, benchtop, sensory, pilot, to national rollout; translate to specs, yields, and station guides; accelerate speed-to-market and first-time-right execution.
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LTO Innovation Pipeline And Test And Learn: Design annual LTO calendar, platform rotations, and tests; run market pilots and demand forecasting; grow traffic, newsworthiness, and profitable novelty while minimizing operational disruption.
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Menu Engineering And Mix Optimization: Analyze item popularity and contribution margin; optimize menu boards, layout, and category assortment; remove low performers; lift check, mix, and kitchen throughput with minimal complexity.
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Nutritional And Allergen Reformulation Strategy: Reformulate recipes for calories, sodium, sugar, and allergens; develop gluten-free and clean label options; maintain taste benchmarks; enable compliant nutrition, claims, and menu labeling.
Food Safety & Quality
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Food Safety Management System Design: Design Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety system; codify SOPs, training, corrective actions; reduce critical violations, insurance claims, and foodborne illness risk.
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Supplier Quality Assurance And Traceability: Build supplier approval, specifications, audits, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements; implement lot-level traceability and certificates of analysis; improve quality, recall readiness, and brand protection.
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Allergen Management And Menu Labeling Compliance: Design allergen control program with segregation, prep protocols, digital allergen matrix, and guest communication; enable menu labeling compliance; reduce cross-contact incidents, complaints, and regulatory risk.
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Digital Food Safety And Temperature Monitoring: Deploy internet of things (IoT) sensors and digital HACCP checklists; automate logs and alerts; reduce critical violations, labor, and time/temperature control for safety (TCS) breaches.
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Recall And Crisis Management: Develop recall playbooks, mock recalls, and escalation protocols; validate lot-level traceability; strengthen communications and Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA); minimize downtime and brand damage.
Real Estate & Development
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Network Planning And Trade Area White Space: Model demand using demographics, traffic, mobile data, and competition; size white space and cannibalization; prioritize pipeline; boost new unit IRR and market share.
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Site Selection Analytics And Sales Forecasting: Evaluate visibility, access, drive‑thru stacking, parking, co‑tenancy, and drive‑times; forecast AUV (average unit volume) and ramp; raise site acceptance rate and Year‑1 sales.
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Lease Negotiation And Portfolio Optimization: Negotiate LOIs (letters of intent), rents, TI (tenant improvement) allowances, CAM (common area maintenance) caps, exclusives; optimize renewals, relocations, closures; reduce occupancy cost and risk.
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Development Pipeline Governance And Broker Management: Install pipeline, broker scorecards, tour protocols, investment committee, diligence checklists; increase throughput, hit rate, and cycle time from LOI (letter of intent) to opening.
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Entitlement And Permitting Strategy: Assess zoning, variances, drive‑thru approvals, signage, traffic studies, and community outreach; map timelines and risk; improve approval rates and shorten pre‑construction schedules.
FAQs
What does a restaurant consulting firm do?
A restaurant consulting firm helps brands improve strategy, operations, execution, growth planning, transformation management, and business performance. Gravitas supports restaurant and foodservice leadership teams with both advisory and execution focused consulting services.
Does Gravitas work with QSR brands?
Yes. Gravitas works with QSR and foodservice clients on growth strategy, PMO leadership, AI strategy, guest experience improvement, and operational execution.
Can Gravitas help franchisors and franchise operators?
Yes. Gravitas supports franchisors, multi unit operators, and investor backed restaurant platforms with franchise growth strategy, execution visibility, governance, and transformation support.
What types of restaurant consulting projects does Gravitas support?
Common projects include growth strategy, PMO setup, transformation office support, AI roadmap development, execution improvement, operating model design, and cross functional initiative management.
Why choose Gravitas for restaurant consulting?
Clients choose Gravitas for practical strategy, senior level support, structured execution, and a strong focus on measurable business outcomes.
Other Services
Apparel & Athletic Wear Practice
Transforming apparel and athletic wear brands by optimizing merchandising, product drops, inventory, and omnichannel experiences, improving full-price sell-through, speed-to-market, and margin.
Art, Watches, Collectibles Practice
Modernizing art, watch, and collectibles auctions and marketplaces by expanding consignor supply, authentication, white‑glove logistics, pricing for profitable growth.
Enabling auto parts retailers to optimize PRO/DIFM delivery, fitment accuracy, omnichannel inventory, and pricing, increasing first-call fill, speed, and margins.
Enabling bridal and wedding retailers to optimize appointments, special orders, alterations, and supply chains, boosting conversion, on‑time delivery, and profitability.
Consumer Services (Gyms, Salons, Barbershops, Car Washes, Pet-care Chains) Practice
Transforming gyms, salons, barbershops, car washes, and pet-care chains by optimizing memberships, scheduling, throughput, pricing, loyalty, and franchise economics.
Convenience Stores & Fuel Retail Practice
Transforming convenience and fuel retailers by optimizing networks, EV charging, foodservice, pricing, loyalty, and supply chains to drive traffic, margins.
E-commerce Marketplaces & Pure Plays Practice
Accelerating e-commerce marketplaces and pure plays by optimizing growth levers, liquidity, fulfillment, retail media, and trust‑and‑safety for profitable GMV.
Eyewear and Optical Retail Practice
Transforming optical retail chains by optimizing appointments, omnichannel, lab turnaround, lens upgrades, and vision plan realization to increase margins.
Transforming funeral homes and cemeteries by optimizing preneed sales, digital arrangements, cremation capacity, memorialization, and operations for profitable growth.
Furniture & Home Furnishings Practice
Transforming furniture and home furnishings retailers by optimizing assortment, design services, supply chain, last‑mile delivery, omnichannel pricing, and profitability.
Transforming grocery retailers via fresh availability, labor productivity, omnichannel fulfillment, KVI pricing, loyalty, and retail media to boost profitable growth.
Transforming home appliance brands by optimizing manufacturing, supply chain, connected products, retail execution, aftermarket service, and pricing for profitable growth.
Home Improvement and DIY Retail Practice
Transforming home improvement and DIY retailers by optimizing Pro ecosystems, assortments, seasonal resets, omnichannel fulfillment, installation services, pricing, and profitability.
Home Services (Landscaping, Lawn Care, Pest Control) Practice
Optimizing landscaping, lawn care, and pest control operations—route density, scheduling, pricing, technician productivity—to increase recurring revenue, retention, and margins.
Household, Personal Care & Beauty (CPG) Practice
Accelerating beauty and household CPG growth by optimizing brand portfolios, route-to-market, manufacturing, retail media, pricing, and compliant, sustainable innovation.
Luxury Goods & Jewelry Practice
Elevating luxury goods and jewelry brands by optimizing maisons, boutiques, clienteling, allocation, pricing, and secure supply to grow full‑price profitability.
Transforming mass retailers by optimizing on‑shelf availability, omnichannel fulfillment, retail media, pricing, and store operations to drive profitable growth.
Packaged Foods & Beverages Manufacturing Practice
Transforming packaged foods and beverage manufacturers by optimizing OEE, yield, network, RGM pricing, launches, and FSMA-compliant, low‑carbon supply chains.
Restaurants & Foodservice Practice
Transforming restaurants and foodservice chains by optimizing kitchen throughput, drive‑thru speed, digital ordering, menu pricing, procurement, and food safety.
Transforming specialty retailers by optimizing assortments, RFID inventory accuracy, floor set execution, omnichannel fulfillment, dynamic pricing, and loyalty for profitable growth.
Sporting Goods & Outdoor Brands Practice
Accelerating sporting goods and outdoor brands by optimizing product creation, supply chains, omnichannel growth, pricing, and recommerce for profitable growth.
Accelerating toy and baby brands by optimizing seasonal launches, China‑plus‑one supply, product safety compliance, omnichannel growth, licensing economics, profitability.
Accelerating wine, beer, and spirits growth through premiumization, RTD innovation, packaging OEE, route‑to‑market, trade spend, distributor performance.